Year in Review: May 2018 from the pages of the Salmon Arm Observer

Looking back at what made headlines in 2018 from the pages of the Salmon Arm Observer.

Here’s a glimpse from May 2018:

• The 2018 municipal election race for seats has begun. While there are two candidates running for the mayor’s chair, incumbent councillors Tim Lavery and Kevin Flynn have both announced bids this week for re-election in the October municipal election.

• A Shuswap man pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in BC Provincial Court in Salmon Arm. Forty-four-year-old Duane Redekopp of Sicamous faces one count of possession of images of prepubescent boys and one count of possessing such images for the purpose of distribution or sale.

Sicamous RCMP Sgt. Murray McNeil said police have no evidence to suggest that any local children were targeted.

• The Salmon Arm Observer came home with a bronze medal from the Ma Murray Community Newspaper Awards presented in Richmond.

More than 60 papers in seven circulation categories took part in the annual contest.

In individual categories reporter/photographer Lachlan Labere earned a silver in sports photography for his photo of Mayor Nancy Cooper attempting to land a punch in a demonstration bout versus coach Peggy Maerz, during the 2017 Hit 2 Fit charity boxing event.

• The overwhelming sentiment expressed by more than 60 people at a meeting in the library at the DAC was that they wanted the SASCU Downtown Activity Centre to live on in its current role. At the end of the meeting the plan favoured by those who spoke was to work on ways to buy the building.

Dorothy Rolin spoke to the importance of keeping the DAC, which is on the city’s heritage registry, as it is, “the last public heritage building in Salmon Arm that we can save.” Her speech met with applause.

• Riley Corcoran lives in Calgary but his soul resides in the Shuswap. Riley has spent time every summer at a cabin in the Shuswap, calling it a magical place where he loves to be. The 13-year-old entrepreneur was inspired by his surroundings and created his own company, Shuswap Soul Clothing.

Hit 2 Fit participants raised funds for several charities, from the SAFE Society to the Salmon Arm Rescue Unit and more.

• It appeared a plan to re-name Roderick Haig Brown Provincial Park to recognize the area’s First Nation heritage was somewhat lost in translation.

The B.C. government announced a name change in the works for three B.C. parks to better reflect their cultural significances to the First Nations communities.

It was announced that Roderick Haig Brown Provincial Park would be renamed Tsutswecw Park, which the government press release stated meant ‘many fish’ in the Secwepemc language, but the correct spelling for the Secwepemc word meaning ‘many fish’ is actually Suswewll. The name chosen, which will stay, means ‘many rivers.’

• More than 500 cyclists took part in the Salty Dog race. In the main event, Quinn Moberg took first place in the men’s 15-29 category. Cory Wallace took first in the men’s 30-39, Jay Bachman placed first in the 40-49 category and Tom Evans made a first-place finish in the 50+ division.

Elora Van Jarrett took first place in the women’s 15-29 category, with Jill Cody placing first in the 30-39, Sher Foster winning in the 40-49 and Glenda Misurelli taking first in the 50+ division.

• The Shuswap is about to become home to the only organic Italian cheese factory in Western Canada and one of a few in the entire country.

Tanto Latte is the passion project of husband and wife duo Luigi Ornaghi and Susana Crimi, a pair of experienced culinary artists whose goal is to create a business founded on quality above all else.

Their retail location is at 1481 10th Ave. SW, just past Save-on-Foods at the Mall at Piccadilly.

• The level of the Shuswap Lake is expected to peak this week and then begin receding, but the lake level is currently high enough to close several boat launches and public beaches around the Shuswap, including the Harbour Road Boat Launch in Eagle Bay, the Kappel Street Boat Launch in the Sicamous channel, as well as the Windsor Road and Swansea Point launches.